It's Not Right, But It's Okay
by ZaleRayeEdwards
Summary: *A/U* Ella has been treated terribly by Draco for years, even after two and a half of marriage. This time, Draco has finally crossed the line and Ella is no longer allowing Draco to ruin her life.
1. Pack Your Bags

"Draco, stop. Just finish getting your things and go. I don't want to hear it." I said from the doorway. "I'm tired and I just want to get those sheets off the bed so I can burn them and be done. This is the last time I'm letting you treat me this way."

"Ella, please. I can explain, don't make me go. I love you. I'm so, so sorry." He said from the edge of the bed, tears streaming down his face. "I don't even know how it happened or why I let it happen. You mean everything to me."

"Oh? Everything? I guess you should have thought about that before you brought Pansy over for some 'fun'. In our bed! Do you not even know how much that disgusts me? Not only that you would bring her to OUR house, but that you would sleep with her in OUR bed, on OUR sheets, that were given to us by your parents for OUR one year anniversary!" I screamed. I couldn't take this. I wasn't going to take this anymore. "Just get out. I'll have your things out by the time I go to work. Leave your key on the table. GO."

He slowly got up off the bed and walked toward the door. "Baby, please. Don't make me go…" he stopped next to me and tried to hug me. "Please, just a hug. We can work this out."

"No. Please, just go." I said, turning away from him. I walked in front of him through the apartment to open the door for him. I opened the door and he gave me one last, longing look and I let one last tear stream down my right cheek. "I leave for work at five. You can come get your things then."

He handed me his set of keys for the house. "I love you, you know. More than I've ever loved anything in my life. You gave me a reason to be a better person." He leaned in for a kiss and I turned my head so that he kissed my left cheek. He sighed. "I'll be here at 4:45."

I closed the door behind him and locked it, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get back in, and that gave me some sort of happiness. I was sad to see him go, I was. He was the love of my life, but cheating, in my own house, after a two and a half year marriage. My phone rang and I looked down at the screen. It was Hermione. I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ella. How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better than I thought, I guess. He just left." I said. "I don't want to be alone, but I don't want him here. Are you and Ron back from France yet?"

"Almost. Ronald forgot to put gas in the car before we left the last town so we called a tow truck to take us down the road to the gas station. You know we love you, right?"

"I know. And I'm really doing okay. Just lonely."

"We'll be home soon. I think Ginny is home. She didn't have work. Call her. Go out."

"I might. Thanks, 'Mione. Safe travels, love."

"Thanks!" She hung up her end of the phone and I laid mine down on the table. I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a small glass of vodka. I took a sip and set it down on the kitchen table.

After a few minutes the phone began to ring again and I walked over to pick it up. I checked the ID and it was Ginny. Hermione must have known I wasn't about to call and had Gin call me. "Hey Gin." I said, taking another sip of my vodka.

"Hey El. 'Moione called me. Let's go out. We can get a driver, it'll be fun. Get your mind off of things. Come on, first three drinks are on me." She said. Man, that was tempting. And I really didn't have a lot of money right now, what with Draco being the only one with a 'real' job at the moment.

"What time can you be here?" I asked, downing the rest of the vodka in my glass.

"About 15 minutes, how's that?" She said, taking her face away from the phone to look at the clock, I assumed. "I need to change clothes and call Harry."

"Alright, 15 minutes. See you then." I said as I hung up the phone. I put my used glass in the sink and went back to my bedroom. After I changed clothes, I ripped the sheets of the bed and took all of Draco's things out of the closet and his dresser. I put them into one big box and moved it by the front door.

I went back into the bedroom and into the bathroom to put on makeup. Soon I heard the doorbell ring and I rushed out to the door. I opened it and it was Ginny. "Hey." I grabbed my keys, but left the door unlocked, since I wasn't sure when Draco would come to get his things. "Let's go."

"Have you already been drinking?" Ginny asked, helping me down the stairs.

"Just enough vodka to have been at least seven shots." I said, laughing. "I didn't know what else to do there by myself, Gin. It's lonely in there with my memories."

"Come on. Harry's down the street." She hooked her arm through mine as we walked down the sidewalk. "So, he left today?"

"Yep. Kicked him out. For good. Left his keys and everything." I said, staggering a little. "Shit, I should have just poured the rest of that back into the bottle."

"You're alright. I've got you. Harry's just right up here. Did you call into the shelter and tell them you were sick?"

"No. I should, though. I can't go in drunk. They'd never let me through the door again." I said, searching my pockets for my phone.

"Here, I'll do it. Quit wiggling." Ginny said, laughing. She took her phone out and dialed the shelter's number. "Yes, I'm calling on behalf of Elinore Morris. She can't make it into her internship tonight, she's home sick with the flu. Yes. Yes, alright. I'll let her know. Thank you. Have a wonderful night."

"Thanks, Gin. You're the best." We finally made it to the car where Harry was waiting. "Hey, Harry. How have you been?"

"Good, just working a lot. Finally got a night off. Might have a few myself." He said, smiling as I sat in the back seat. Ginny got in the front and we began driving to the bar. Harry and Ginny idly talked in the front seat while I dosed off in the back.

Alright, maybe I'd definitely had too much vodka already.


	2. Alone Or Unhappy

The last thing I remember about last night was being carried into my apartment by Harry and Ginny. I think Ginny offered to stay the night, but I was too drunk to want to be around other people. It really was not a good night.

I had apparently ruined all of my favorite pictures by trying to cut out Draco, I also broke my favorite plate, and I wrote all over the whiteboard that I hated him. I must have gone back to junior high school while I was drunk, because I hadn't done anything like that since then.

I walked out into the living room and got myself a shot of vodka. As my mom always taught me, a little bit of alcohol is the best cure for a hangover. I took the shot and then proceeded to clean up the rooms a little. I heard my cell ringing from the bedroom and I raced to answer it. "Hello?"

"Ella? Are you okay? What happened? Where have you been?" It was Draco.

"I'm fine. Why?" I snipped.

"You weren't at the house yesterday when I came to pick up my things. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. I'm sorry, I was just worried."

"You don't have to be. You're not tied down anymore. I'm no longer any of your concern. G'bye." I said, hanging up the phone. I put it in my pocket and went back to cleaning up. I must have slept on the floor of my room after Harry and Ginny left. I found some extra bedding and put it on the bed in place of the beautiful linens I'd given Draco.

I walked into the kitchen and picked up the broken shards of plate and set them on the table. I began to sweep the floors when there was a knock on the door. I went over and looked through the peep-hole. "Elinore…? It's Harry. Are you alright?"

I opened the door. "Hi, Harry. I'm fine. Come on in." I let him in and we sat on the couch. "Don't you have work?"

"I took the morning off. Ginny wanted me to come make sure you were okay since she's stuck at the hospital until noon." He said, looking around. "What's that?" he asked, noticing the broken shards of china on the counter.

"My favorite plate." I sighed. "The only reason I broke it, I can figure, is because Draco gave it to me. As well as writing that on the whiteboard and all our pictures from school. I must have tried to cut him out and just cut the pictures all to hell. I'm so upset with myself."

"It'll be alright." Harry said, patting my hand. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm alright. Thanks." I smiled. "I need to get to the store and buy bedding, though. I gave Draco the stuff from the bed and didn't even bother putting any back on the bed."

"I know." He smiled. "Gin and I tried to do it for you last night and you screamed bloody murder until we just left the bedding on the floor with you."

"I'm sorry." I said. "It was not a good day."

"We know. That's why we didn't argue too much. Gin did try to stay, but you threw us both out and locked the door."

"Did I really?" I asked, gasping. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." He looked down at his watch. "Well, I told Gin I'd meet her down the street from the hospital at twelve thirty for lunch, so I'll see you later, Ella. If you need _anything_, don't hesitate to call."

"I won't." I said, standing and hugging him as he walked out the door. "See you later." He waved as I closed the door.

I went back to sweeping the floor and cleaning up, casually taking shots of vodka every 20 minutes or so. About 1:15 there was another knock on the door. Then to sound of the key in the lock and the door opened. "Ella? Are you here?"

"Hey, 'Mione. I'm in the kit-kitchen." I said, hiccupping. "Come one in."

"Are you drinking again?" She asked, setting her purse and a gift bag down on the couch. "And without me?"

"Here. I'm done." I said, handing her the bottle. I really needed to stop drinking like this. I noticed she set the bottle down. "Aren't you having any?"

"No, we're going out to lunch. Get changed."

"But I'm drunk. Or tipsy. Or something."

She walked over and slapped my cheeks. "Better?"

"A little." I rubbed the spots on my face where she'd hit. "We need to stop somewhere to get bedding, too."

"We can do that. Now go change." She ushered me into the bedroom, threw a questioning look at the makeshift bed on the floor, and walked out. I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

After my shower, I changed clothes and threw my hair up into a high ponytail. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

"You look terrible." Hermione said with a smile in her voice. "Come on, we're walking." She added when she noticed I observed the lack of car. "You need some fresh air and some exercise."

"Why? Why can't I just stay at home and pout and be okay with being alone?" I whined, throwing my small backpack over my left shoulder.

"You're okay with it?" she asked, genuinely curious. "Like, really okay?"

"I'd rather be alone than upset, Hermione." I said very seriously. "If I have to be either single and happy or married and depressed, I'm going to be happy."

"Man, Ella. I never knew you had it in you." She said, taking my hand. We walked in silence the rest of the way to our favorite restaurant down the street. We walked through the door and were seated at our regular table near the windows.

"Ah, Mrs. Weasley! Mrs. Malfoy! How have you been?" The waiter, Nicholas asked.

"Fine, Nick. But it's Miss, if you please." I said, patting his arm. "Mr. Malfoy and I have had an argument and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be 'Mrs.'"

"Oh, ma'am, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Nicholas said, looked slightly embarrassed.

"That's alright, you're the first real person I've told." I responded.

"Let me get you two a free drink, on the house, okay?"

"No, Nick, we couldn't possibly let you –" Hermione said.

"No, please, I insist." He walked away hurriedly before she could finish.

"Why do people always do that?" She asked, chuckling slightly. "What is it about you that makes boys want to give us things?"

"I don't know. But hey, free drinks!" I said, laughing. "Man, I'm so glad to be kind of single!"

We enjoyed our lunch and laughed harder and longer than we had in a long time. We paid, left an extra-large tip, and began to walk back to my apartment. I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket and saw I had a text message from Draco.

'_You look so cute today, babe. Keep smiling, you're beautiful. Hope you had a good lunch. x'_

I closed my phone and put it back in my pocket. Not wanting to worry Hermione, I stated slowly, "Hermione. I just want you to slowly look behind us and tell me if you see Draco."

She looked behind us and turned back quickly. "He just left the restaurant. Oh my god, I'm so sorry. If I'd known he'd been there we'd have gone somewhere else."

"It's alright. Let's get back to the apartment." We walked the rest of the way in silence. As soon as we got back, I quickly locked the door. I knew Draco wouldn't follow us, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I might act and look okay, but inside, I was slowly dying…


	3. Retail Therapy

**Author's Note:**

_Thank__ you to PeaceLoveSiriusBlack for reviewing. :) I'm so glad you like this story. I like it very much, as well._

* * *

After a few minutes of trying to calm myself down, Hermione mentioned the gift bag sitting next to her on the couch. "I know you love France, so I got you something." She handed me the bag and I could hardly contain myself. "Be careful, it's fragile."

"But I don't want to be careful." I said, laughing, carefully removing the wrapped brown package from the bag and setting on my lap. I began to slowly unwrap the paper and when I finished I held a beautiful, hand crafted, jewelry box. "Hermione, this is beautiful."

"Just like you. I saw that in one of the shops and told Ronald you had to have it." She said, hugging me. "I'm so glad you like it. Are you ready to go shopping now?"

"Oh, I'd completely forgotten. But yes, I'm ready. Let me go put this away." I walked into the bathroom and set it on the counter in place of the smaller one. I'd wait to switch jewelry. The first two pieces I put in were my wedding and engagement ring. "Beautiful." I said to myself.

I walked back out into the living room and turned off the lights. "Okay, let's go." I said smiling. I hadn't really been this happy in a long, long time. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be happy without Draco. We almost always went out together. It really was very silly.

"Are you sure? Because we don't have to go out today. We can wait until tomorrow." She said as I picked up my purse and dropped my phone in it. "Seriously, Elinore. We don't have to go out today."

"'Mione, I'm fine. Let's just go so we can get back and have some drinks." She gave me a glare which made me laugh. "Alright, maybe we won't have any drinks. Stop glaring at me already!" I reached over and tickled her slightly and that made her laugh.

"Alright, alright!" she laughed. "Let's go to the mall!" We walked out of the house and as I locked the door again, she walked down the steps to get the car. We got in the car and drove to the mall. "Do you see a parking spot?" She asked, moving her head left and right as she skimmed the rows for an empty spot.

"There's one, right there." I said, pointing to the right. "Two spots down." Hermione pulled into the parking spot and we got out of the car. "Ah, retail therapy. My old friend."

Hermione laughed. "You were always one to love shopping, no matter how tomboyish you were in school." I playfully smacked her arm and we walked in through the book store. "Ohh, books. I love books."

"Everybody knows you love books, 'Mione. We'll come back, though, okay? This will be the last stop."

"Alright, fine." She said, pouting. "Where to first?"

"Wherever. Let's just spend some of Draco's hard earned money." I said, walking into the actual mall. "How about H&M?"

"I _love_ H&M!" Hermione squealed. "They have the cutest stuff." We walked through the corridors in the mall and found the H&M. We walked in and began to look around. We each found some cute dresses. "Ella, look at this one! This is perfect for you!" She held up a medium length slim black dress. It was backless except for the turtleneck-like collar at the top.

I looked at the dress and decided she was right. I took it with me into the dressing room and tried it on. "I don't know about this one, 'Mione. I mean, it looks okay…" I said as I stepped out of the dressing room.

All Hermione did was sit there, open-mouthed, staring at me. "You look amazing." She finally said after a few minutes. "You have to get this." I changed out of it and looked at the price tag. Draco wasn't going to miss $60.

At least that's what I told myself.

We left H&M and walked around, poking into other stores when we felt like it. After a couple hours, we both walked back into the bookstore with both arms full of bags. "'Mione, do you even have room for your books?" I asked, laughing. "Because I have no room for anything else."

"Elinore! I'm shocked. Of course I have room for books. There's _always_ room for books." She said in a serious tone. She set the rest of her bags down near an area with seats. "I'll only be a few minutes." She added, walking away. I set my bags down and then sat myself down. My feet were exhausted. I loved shopping, but man, it really did take a toll on you.

I felt my phone vibrate in my purse and I dug around to find it. It was another text from Draco.

'_I hope you got some nice things, you deserve them. Don't worry about the money, I got paid yesterday. I do love you. x"_

Seriously, this was starting to get creepy. I looked around to see if I could see him, but he was nowhere around. I mean, there was another way for him to know I went shopping, but still. He shouldn't be texting me. We're separated.

I picked up my bags and Hermione's. "'Mione, let's go. Please. We need to go."

"Ella? What's wrong?" she asked, coming from behind a massive bookshelf with five books in her arms. "Is he here?" she whispered, looking around.

"I don't know, but he texted me again. Please. Can we go?"

"Absolutely. Let's pay for these and we'll go." We looked pretty funny waddling down the aisles, me with all the bags and her with only the five books. We quickly paid for the books and went out to the car.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I know you would have liked to look around more." I said. "I just didn't want to see him and have him know that I just spent all that money, _his_ money, on all those clothes."

"Ella, don't apologize. I completely understand." Hermione responded. "I would be the same way if Ronald and I were fighting. I love you."

"I love you, too, 'Mione." We drove back to my apartment and Hermione helped me drag all my new outfits and new sheets into the house. I went into the bedroom and began to put things away.

"Ella, do you want me to stay for dinner? I can cook." Hermione yelled from the kitchen.

"I'd be alright with that. You can have Ron come, too." I yelled back. "He's probably missing you right now!"

I heard her laugh from the kitchen and heard her dial her phone. She talked to Ron for a few minutes while I finished putting my things away in the bedroom.

After I'd put the sheets on the bed, I sat down and looked around the room. It was very empty in here. And lonely.


	4. The Big News

Hi! Have _another _new chapter and such. Uh, this one has a phone conversation in it, so the regular text in quotations is Hermione and the _italic text in quotations is Pansy. _But that's just for this chapter. So, have fun and I hope you love it!

* * *

"Ella, are you alright?" I heard Hermione ask from the hallway. "Do you need anything?" I heard her ask from the doorway where I'd left the door cracked.

"I'm alright." I said, softly. "Just thinking…" I looked around at the empty side of the room where Draco's things used to be. "It's a lot lonelier in here than I thought. And a lot emptier."

"Elinore…" Hermione sat down on the bed next to me and rested her head against my shoulder. "I'm so sorry. If you want, I can stay the night. We can watch dumb movies and laugh and cry and drink. I'll have Ronald pick something up on his way over." She rubbed my back and then walked out of the room.

I sighed. I got up, turned the light off, and closed the door. Walking down the hallway, I heard Hermione talking to Ron on the phone. "…Ronald, please. She's taking this so hard. Just pick up some movies, some coconut rum, and some Sprite." She huffed and then hung up the phone. She heard me, turned around and gave me a smile.

"I'm so tired." I said, sitting on the couch. "I'm tired all the time."

"I know." She said sitting down beside me. "It'll get better, though. I promise."

"How do you know?" I asked, laying down. "How does anyone know?"

"Do you remember that one week, last May, when we went on our girls trip to the water park? And I was unusually cranky?"

"Yes…"

"Ronald and I were separated that week. Not like, figuratively, I mean, we were obviously separated that week with me being away. We were honestly separated. It hurt so much. I thought he was never going to come home. He wouldn't answer my calls and wouldn't IM me. It was heartbreaking. But it worked out. When I got home, he was there with flowers and wine and dinner, all made and wonderful. It was the most beautiful thing." She said, rubbing my arm. "I promise, it'll all work out for the best. If it's meant to be, you'll know. If it's not, you'll meet someone else."

"'Mione, I didn't know Ron left you!" I said, sitting up.

She laughed. "Out of that whole story, that's all you took away from it?!"

"Well, no. Thank you." I said, feeling slightly better.

The doorbell rang and Hermione went to answer it. She opened it to reveal Ron, arms stuffed full of movies, beer, and groceries. "Hi babe, Ella." He said, out of breath. After he set things down, and came over and hugged me. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think. Hermione has been telling me stories and helping me." I said, glancing at Hermione and then back to Ron.

"When you say 'stories', you don't mean the one, do you?"

"Oh, yes. I'm quite upset with you, sir." I said, laughing.

"But, I made up for it, didn't I, darling?"

"Of course you did, Ronald." Hermione said, kissing his cheek. "Now, get in that kitchen and help me cook dinner."

He laughed and walked into the kitchen ahead of her. "Ella, if you want to open that brown sack, there's something in there I think you'll like."

I opened it up and looked inside. "Ron, you didn't have to buy these for me!" I yell as I take out a big party pack of Smirnoff Ice. "Besides, you don't want me drinking all these by myself. It won't be good."

"Oh, there not all for you, darling. Those are for the three of us. But most of them are for you." He said laughing as Hermione smacked the back of his head. "There are movies in that other one I got from the Redbox. Mostly chick-flicks, with your favorites, Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson."

"You know me so well, Ron. Sometimes I think if 'Mione hadn't snatched you up in high school, I would have gone after you." I heard Hermione snort and knew that Ron was blushing. Everyone knew in high school that Ron had crushed on me hard before Hermione transferred to the school. After that, though, he only had eyes for her.

I dosed off on the couch and before I knew it, Hermione was gently shaking me awake to tell me that dinner was ready. We ate with a moderate silence, talking only when Ron couldn't bare the silence anymore. Soon, we put a movie in and were all lying on the floor in giggle fits for the rest of the night.

Hermione and I dosed on the floor while Ron went about washing dishes and putting away left overs. Soon there was a knock at the door. I tried to get up, but Hermione held down my arm and I knew that meant it was Draco. Ron went over, the most sober, and opened the door so that he and Draco could have a proper conversation, but not far enough that he knew Hermione and I were on the floor. "What?"

"Oh, hi Ron. I was just wondering if Ella was in…" God, he sounded so cute right now. Maybe because I was drunk. Or maybe because after everything, I missed him more than anything.

"She's asleep right now, actually." Ron said coldly. "Sorry."

"Can you tell her I was here to see her? I'd really like to speak with her."

"Maybe." Ron responded in that same cold tone. "See ya."

"Wait, but I –" Draco was cut off by Ron closing the door in his face. I heard him walk down the stairs outside the apartment.

That was when I lost it. I just started bawling. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was just feeling so much and it had been so long it seemed since I'd held him next to me in bed. Ron and Hermione didn't know what to do so they just let me cry. I could hear them moving around me, cleaning up the apartment, doing anything to let me have some time for myself.

I didn't know what I was doing anymore. Draco had been my everything, and I just kicked him aside like he had been nothing all along to me. But wasn't that essentially what he'd been acting out when I found him here with her? Wasn't he basically showing me that I was nothing to him and that he didn't care about me or our marriage? Or about the fact that we were trying to have children?

After I cried myself out on the floor, Hermione came back over and laid beside me. She didn't say anything, just slipped her hand into mine. She stroked my hair with her free hand and all of a sudden I felt myself starting to fall asleep.

Soon the phone started ringing and Hermione got up and answered it. "Hello, Malfoy residence, Hermione Weasley speaking."

"_Hermione? Oh, did I call a wrong number? I'm looking for Draco. This is Pansy Parkinson."_

"Why are you calling here, then? You of all people should know he's been kicked out!" Hermione yelled into the phone. From where I was laying, I couldn't properly hear the conversation, so of course I assumed it was most likely Pansy. Barf.

"_Well, I tried calling his cell, but he wasn't answering and I thought maybe he was there will Ella and they were talking."_

"He tried coming here, but he wasn't allowed in. Elinore is in no state to be speaking with him or you, for that matter. Can I take a message?" Wait, why was she calling? She knew how I felt about her. Even before this whole thing went down.

"_Well, um, if you can find him, could you tell him I'm pregnant? And that I'm almost certain he's the father."_


End file.
